Roger B. Chaffee
From The Space Library
 Roger B. Chaffee | |
| Birth Name | Roger B. Chaffee |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | Feb 15 1935 |
| Occupation | NASA Astronaut (Deceased), (Lieutenant Commander, USN) |
Contents |
Personal Data
Born February 15, 1935 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Died January 27, 1967, at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in the Apollo spacecraft fire. He is survived by his wife Martha and two children.
Education
Chaffee graduated from Central High School, Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Purdue University in 1957.
Experience
Chaffee, a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander, entered the Navy in 1957. He served as safety officer and quality control officer for Heavy Photographic Squadron 62 at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. He logged more than 2,300 hours flying time, including more than 2,000 hours in jet aircraft.
Spaceflight Experience
NASA EXPERIENCE: Chaffee was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. In addition to participating in the overall training program, he was also tasked with working on flight control communications systems, instrumentation systems, and attitude and translation control systems in the Apollo Branch of the Astronaut office. On March 21, 1966, he was selected as one of the pilots for the AS-204 mission, the first 3-man Apollo flight. Lieutenant Commander Chaffee died on January 27, 1967, in the Apollo spacecraft flash fire during a launch pad test at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Special Honours
Posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Awarded the United States Navy Air Medal.
Other Information
Dec-97
